MSc Law and Finance programme

The MSc Law and Finance provides a cutting-edge education at the intersection of law, finance, and economics, delivered by the UCL Faculty of Laws, School of Management, and Department of Economics.

Overview

In today’s complex global economy, the expectations placed on legal and finance professionals, especially those in corporate and financial law, have changed dramatically. 

Employers are no longer looking for experts who can solely advise on legal issues or financial strategy in isolation. Instead, they increasingly seek individuals who can operate fluently across legal, commercial, and financial domains, understanding the legal, economic, and regulatory drivers behind complex transactions and contributing strategically to high-stakes decision-making.

This MSc prepares you to meet that demand.

You will develop the skills to navigate the interplay between law and finance, learning about financial economics, the operation of markets and institutions, and regulatory frameworks. You will gain the ability to evaluate the financial and regulatory implications of transactions, including corporate financing, mergers and acquisitions, take-private and take-public deals, and corporate reorganisations and restructurings.

A distinctive feature of the course is its emphasis on applied learning. You can choose between two immersive pathways developed in close partnership with leading global firms: deal simulations based on real transactions using market-standard documentation, or placements with international law and finance firms (subject to eligibility, selection, and matching), giving you hands-on experience with live transactions. Both pathways sharpen your legal reasoning, commercial fluency, and practical skills.

At its core, the MSc treats law as a practical tool shaped by and responsive to markets, institutions, and transactions. You will be taught by leading academics and practitioners from the worlds of law, finance, and banking, combining rigorous scholarship with applied experience. By the end of the course, you will have a strong foundation, an appreciation of market drivers, and the professional skills to make an impact in the global legal and financial landscape.

Programme highlights

• Benefit from UCL’s global excellence in law and business: UCL School of Management and UCL Laws are both ranked 9th globally (Times Higher Education 2025; QS World University Rankings 2025).
• Study at the School of Management in Canary Wharf and the Faculty of Laws in Bloomsbury, gaining access to London’s financial district and legal centre.
• Receive advanced interdisciplinary training from internationally renowned academics and practitioners in law, economics, and finance.
• Develop expertise in corporate and finance transactions, including public and private M&A, international debt finance, and complex restructuring.
• Apply legal knowledge within financial and commercial contexts, understanding how legal, economic, and financial frameworks interact in major corporate, finance, and restructuring transactions.
• Tailor your studies through a broad range of modules, including banking regulation, corporate governance, and debt finance.
• Gain hands-on experience through deal simulations and structured placements with leading firms, working on real-world cases and transactions.

Why choose this programme?

The programme's applied training, through deal simulations and structured placements, bridges academic study with practical experience. Combined with UCL’s global reputation and London’s unparalleled access to financial and legal institutions, this support lays a powerful foundation for a successful and impactful career at the intersection of law and finance. You will gain the ability to analyse market-standard documentation, negotiate deal terms, and assess risk from both legal and financial perspectives. These are skills that are highly sought after by employers worldwide. 

A distinctive feature of the MSc is the thoughtful integration of academic study with professional experience. We have developed two immersive training pathways in close collaboration with leading global firms. Both pathways are designed to sharpen legal reasoning and commercial fluency and provide hands-on experience in applying your knowledge to real-world contexts.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements: A high 2:1 (68% or above) across all years of study in an undergraduate degree in law, finance, business, accounting or a related discipline from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. We may consider applicants who are close to but have not met this threshold if they have extensive practical experience and where spaces on the programme are available.

English language requirements: Level 4

A pre-course in mathematics/accounting basics/quantitative methods will be mandatory for all students who do not have a degree in a quantitative subject, and a pre-course in legal methods will be mandatory for all students who do not have a law degree.

This is a highly competitive programme, with only 45 places being offered this year.

Who should apply?

The programme is open to students with a background in law, finance, economics, or a closely related subject who want to excel in roles in the legal, financial, consulting, and regulatory sectors.

Students can choose to complete the programme in one year of full-time study or over two years of part-time study, making it suitable for both recent graduates and working professionals.

Programme structure

Taught by leading experts in law and finance, the core modules offered on the programme are designed exclusively for students on the MSc in Law and Finance. They blend a thorough overview of financial and regulatory theory with case studies and real-world transactions for students to analyse and discuss in class.

The programme emphasises applying learned theory through practical experience and professional development, enabling students to gain hands-on experience, develop professional skills and build valuable connections. For the required experiential practice component of this programme, students can apply to either:

• Write a report on a work placement with a financial/legal institution (subject to availability); OR
• Write a report on a number of corporate and finance case study deal simulations undertaken with practitioners, industry experts and expert academics; OR
• Write an independent practice project or research essay at the intersection of law and finance supervised by an expert academic.

The work placements and case study deal simulations will involve a selection and matching process to ensure students are not only aligned with their personal skills and interests but also meet the specific needs and expectations of the relevant financial/legal institution or practitioner and industry expert leads.

In part-time study mode, students are expected to take the four compulsory core modules in year one and the optional modules, together with the work placement or dissertation, in year two.

Career prospects and employability 

From the moment you arrive at UCL Laws, you will benefit from dedicated, in-house career support designed to prepare you for roles in law, finance, consultancy, and regulation. Through workshops on CV writing, interviews, and networking skills, you will gain the confidence and insight to stand out in a competitive job market.

Graduates of the MSc Law and Finance are equipped with a combination of legal, financial, and analytical skills that provide a strong foundation for careers across law, finance, consulting, and regulatory sectors.

You will develop:

• Strategic, interdisciplinary thinking that bridges legal frameworks and financial analysis.
• Real-world experience through deal simulations or placements, reflecting the demands of top-tier firms and developing your ability to apply interdisciplinary thinking in practice.
• Strong familiarity and in-depth understanding of current practice in international corporate and finance markets.
• A competitive edge for roles in international mergers and acquisitions, complex financing (including capital markets), financial services, private equity, regulatory bodies, and rating agencies.
• Preparedness to advise on complex global transactions, investment decisions, and policy reforms across both public and private equity markets, loan and debt capital markets, and corporate restructuring.
• Networks and professional credibility through close contact with distinguished academics and market-leading practitioners, as well as access to London’s legal and financial industries.

Graduates may pursue roles at leading law firms or financial institutions, or work as finance professionals or in-house counsel for private equity funds and investment banks. Career pathways may also include mergers and acquisitions, consultancy, policy-making, risk management, and financial regulation.

Alumni from similar UCL programmes have joined organisations such as Clifford Chance, Freshfields, Allen & Overy, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, HSBC, McKinsey, the Bank of England, and the Financial Conduct Authority (UCL Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2017–2021).

Fees and funding

Tuition fees and support

You can find full details about tuition fees for both UK and international students on the UCL Prospectus for this programme. This includes information on any additional study-related costs you may need to budget for.

For guidance on paying your fees, budgeting tips, and support with financial planning while you study, head over to managing your money on the UCL website. 

Scholarships and external funding 

The UCL200 Law and Finance Opportunity Scholarships are designed to make our MSc Law and Finance accessible to students who have been, and are, of limited means. Successful applicants will receive a full tuition fee waiver and £15,000 maintenance stipend.

In addition to the scholarships, students may be eligible for a range of other external funding options.

Please visit the Scholarships and Funding page for more information.

MSc Open Events

Our next Virtual Open Event for the MSc Law and Finance will take place on Friday 28 November 2025, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM (UK time).

During this live online session, Professor Graham Penn (Programme Director, UCL Faculty of Laws) will introduce the programme, outline its structure, talk about deal similations and structured placements, and answer your questions about modules, entry requirements, and the application process.

Register for the event.

For any enquiries or to arrange a one-to-one consultation, please see the contact options provided below.